Man killed in collision with bus loved to ride his bike

Commuting by car had become draining. So he began riding his bike on the 20-mile route to and from work. That was his goal for 2014.

In Kelty's blog, "A Novice Cycles to Work," he documented his journey toward that new lifestyle. He did his research, visited bike shops, bought cycling gear and mapped out his routes. The brutal winter, he wrote, made him excited about changing his life.

"He was becoming really passionate," said his mother, Sandy Kelty. "He really fell in love with biking, the trails, the bike paths. He felt like he was going to be a lifelong rider."

Thursday morning, Kelty's journey was cut short.

The 23-year-old Indianapolis resident was killed in a collision with an Indianapolis Public Schools bus. Police said Kelty, who was a program manager at PERQ, a marketing firm on Georgetown Road on the Northwestside, was traveling west in the bike lane on Westlane Road when he collided with the eastbound bus turning north onto Ditch Road. It's unclear who was at fault. An investigation is ongoing, but police are not anticipating an arrest.

Shortly after Kelty's death, friends and bike advocates took to Twitter to express their condolences. Some were saddened after reading Kelty's blog. By Friday, #RideLikeNeil had emerged as a hashtag on Twitter.

The crash prompted a reaction among the community that underscores the tension between motorists and bicyclists who, some say, have yet to get used to sharing the road. It raises safety concerns about the city's roadways, experts say, that are seeing an increasingly diverse group of users.

Two sides of issue

In a Facebook comment on the crash, Melissa Vare said reducing the number of vehicular lanes to put bike lanes on the roads is a "recipe for disaster" and slowed traffic in many areas. Keith Cruz responded by saying motorists must recognize that they're driving significantly larger and heavier vehicles.

"We drive on the same routes every day, so we basically shut down our brain while driving because we do it every day," he said. "Motorists need to be aware that a car weighs a couple of tons and a bike weighs a couple of hundred pounds. You're operating a 2,000-pound weapon."

TJ Tyron, 41, Noblesville, who has been an avid cyclist for nearly 30 years, said the problem in Indianapolis is twofold.

"We've got some really, really good, safety-oriented cyclists out there, but we have a lot who aren't, as well," he said. "We also have a lot of very, very safe drivers, and a lot who are not."

Sarah Burt, 34, Fishers, another avid cyclist, said there seems to be a lot of anger from motorists. She said she has been yelled at and told to get on the sidewalk while riding in the bike lane.

"Cyclists are very vulnerable on the road," Burt said. "I do feel that there's a total lack of respect from vehicles."

But by the same token, she said, cyclists aren't free of blame, either.

"Sometimes, cyclists do things to make it worse, like running a red light or running a stop sign," said Burt, who has been riding since 2009.

Tyron said he is familiar with the intersection where Kelty was killed. He has ridden the same streets many times.

Whited said he or some other cyclist he knows could easily have been the one who was killed.

"Some people have contacted me and said, 'This guy's us,' " he said.

Sandy Kelty said her son's love for cycling stretches back to his college years. The Indiana University Kelley School of Business graduate pushed for a bike-share program at the school, she said. She said she hopes the accident does not put cycling in a negative light.

Bruce Kimball, who runs a group called Carmel Pedals, said Kelty reached out to him about nine months ago via Twitter. He said Kelty inquired about a good place to live in Carmel and where in the city he could ride his bike safely. Kimball said he recommended the neighborhood beside the Monon Trail where Kelty was planning to move.

"He really wanted to get involved in the community," Kimball said. "When I found out it was Neil (who was killed in the crash), it was a double whammy."

Cultural shift

Over recent years, Indianapolis officials have worked to make the city more bicycle-friendly.

According to the SustainIndy website, the city plans to create more than 200 miles of bike lanes over the next 12 years. Just last month, PeopleForBikes.org, a Colorado-based national bicycling organization, announced its plan to provide Indianapolis with technical and financial support to add more lanes to the existing 82 miles of on-street bike lanes.

Kim Irwin, executive director of the nonprofit advocacy group Health by Design, said while progress has been made, more can be done to make Indianapolis' roads safer for everyone. And change starts in the people now occupying the road.

"We've been used to decades of pretty much moving around only in cars," she said. "We're growing a bike culture in Indianapolis. The culture shift needs to keep pace."

She said being safe while on public roads is a responsibility of everyone — not just of those in bigger vehicles.

But in the meantime, cyclists like Burt continue to hope the situation will improve.

"I hope motorists become more aware," she said. "I also hope cyclists become more alert. I hope (Neil Kelty) didn't die in vain."

Kelty himself was aware of the dangers of riding his bicycle. He even addressed that in the last sentence in his blog.

"And if you see me out there," he wrote, "please don't hit me with your car."